OTAN Digest
Digest #22
December 2022
Message From the Director
'Tis the season to get excited about our favorite savory and sweet holiday treats, gift giving, and celebrating with family and friends. Here at OTAN, staff are excitedly anticipating all that, but they’re also all a buzz about the next Technology and Distance Learning Symposium (TDLS) scheduled for March 3-4, 2023. The Call for Proposals is open now through December 19. Make it your New Year’s resolution to present at TDLS and share new innovations and learning with your adult education colleagues.
After offering a virtual conference for the last 2 years, TDLS is returning with a hybrid model. We encourage you to attend in-person with us at Sweetwater’s Chula Vista Adult School in the greater San Diego area, but also invite you to attend virtually if that option works best for you. Either way, OTAN guarantees dynamic, hands-on presentations and lively discussions that show participants how to integrate technology to enhance the learner experience, extend the classroom to learners through blended and distance learning, and help adult education programs be more effective and efficient. Dr. Cherina Betters, Chief of Equity and Access for San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and our TDLS keynote speaker, will set the tone for the event by sharing how she advocates for students and educational excellence through equity. For those participating in-person, OTAN is thrilled to offer for the first time a pre-conference Bootcamp option on March 2. With a choice of one of three Bootcamps – Canvas, Google, or Microsoft – participants can identify where they want to focus their learning.
Registration will be opening soon. Mark your calendars for TDLS, the #1 adult education ed tech-focused event in California! Have a wonderful holiday season and a safe and Happy New Year!
-Renee Collins
Director, Adult Education
For Administrators
Why 'Digital Literacy' Is Now a Workplace Non-Negotiable
California Prisons Linked to Aviation History
Are you looking for a way to integrate technology in your classes? Visit Teaching with Technology on the OTAN website and start searching for ESL, ABE, ASE, and even CTE lesson ideas today!
Web-Based Class Activities
December
5 Tips for Engaging All Learners with Digital Literacy
by Elisia Doonan
Many educators are exploring new ways to engage learners online. Engagement for Adults with Disabilities can be especially challenging due to a lack of professional support for educators.
November
Survey, Quiz, and Schedule Appointments Skillfully with Google Forms
by Cindy Wislofsky
It’s time to review what you know already about Google Forms and move forward learning and practicing some newer features to make your work life more efficient and productive.
October
Retooling Zoom for Blended Learning
by Alisa Takeuchi
Although many districts have reopened schools for face-to-face instruction, there is still a need to continue to use Zoom in a blended class.
Spotlight On...
OTAN Moodle Sunsetting in December 2022!
OTAN Developed and Shared Courses are being migrated to Canvas in December 2022. OTAN is moving away from our Moodle adultedcourses.org/ website to the Canvas Learning Management System. Our goal is for all Moodle users to migrate to Canvas at their earliest convenience before December 2022. OTAN partnered with CAEP-TAP and formed the California Distance Learning Cooperative (CDLC) to offer professional learning for all adult education agencies within California.
For more information about the CDLC, visit our CA Distance Learning Cooperative (A Canvas Project) page
For questions or more information, please email AECanvas@scoe.net External Link Icon opens in new window or tab
OTAN December and January Events
OTAN training events are OPEN to Adult Education staff.
★ = CLOSED, In-Service Training
Professional Development - Plan Ahead!
Did you know OTAN provides FREE professional development workshops to help Adult Educators integrate technology?
Think about scheduling OTAN Professional Development in the 2022-2023 school year. With a wide variety of technology topics from which to choose, OTAN training staff can provide in-person workshops or presentations at any approved California adult education agency or professional development event, either online or face-to-face with a computer lab or devices connected to the Internet.
All OTAN's workshops are provided at no cost!
Each session is hands-on - everyone will learn new skills related to technology or using technology that they can use in their adult education class or program. And all OTAN online or face-to-face workshops can be tailored to fit the needs of the requesting program. Select the links to see a list of the current online or face-to-face workshops and descriptions. If you don't see a workshop that is exactly what you need, contact OTAN - we'll work together to create a training that's best for you and your staff!
- OTAN Face-to-Face Workshops (which can be tailored for the virtual environment!)
- OTAN Online Workshops
Need more information? Contact OTAN training staff anytime by phone at (916) 228-2580 External Link Icon opens in new window or tab, or by email at support@otan.us External Link Icon opens in new window or tab.
To view workshops already scheduled, visit the California Adult Education Professional Development Calendar External Link Icon opens in new window or tab and search for workshops sponsored by OTAN. Don't miss out!